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STRATFORD, Conn. — At a time when it seems every other television ad is touting some sort of pharmaceutical, two local sisters-in-law are promoting a more natural alternative.

Jennifer Weir of Stratford and Lori Haggerty of Bethel are local representatives for doTERRA, a national company offering plant-based essential oils and blends that use sometime centuries-old know-how to prepare all-natural remedies.

“We’re trying to teach people how to use essential oils because a lot of people don’t know how,” said Haggerty, peddling her wares at a recent Stratford holiday fair at Eli Whitney School. “We do classes to let people know how to use them for physical and mental wellness.”

Varieties range from basil and bergamot to wild orange and wintergreen. Some oils are known to calm, while others support the immune system or ease breathing.

Haggerty is a master of the Japanese massage technique reiki, so moving into the essential oils business in April was a no-brainer. Weir joined her in August, augmenting her full-time job as a managed care specialist at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport.

“It made sense,” she said of working with her sister-in-law. “We get along!”

DoTERRA was created in the spring of 2008, when a group of healthcare and business professionals decided to bring the life-enhancing benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils to the market. The company’s name derives from the Latin meaning “gift of the Earth.”

The first products — 25 single oils and 10 blends — were introduced in April 2008. DoTERRA products are sold exclusively through “wellness advocates,” such as Weir and Haggerty, who may also sell globally through their personalized web shopping sites,
mydoterra.com/lorihaggerty
and
mydoterra.com/jenniferweir
.

All of the oils are obtained from plants living in their natural habitats internationally, which means they are stronger and healthier than plants grown in an artificial, commercial space, Haggerty said.

In addition to classes, Weir and Haggerty offer wellness consultations with private clients and can create custom blends for their particular needs. They do not advocate exchanging all medicines for essential oil alternatives.